Planning a motorcycle trip? Not sure how to pack? We’re here to help!
Whether you’re preparing for a round the world ride, a weekend getaway or a few days out on that open road, the essential packing list is going to be similar: a change of clothes, a toolkit, a spare tire tube, a bag of toiletries and some food. The rest is individual: some people need more stuff, some prefer to travel in a minimalist mode, and there isn’t one magic formula that fits all. But we came up with a few tips that might help you pack smaller and lighter:
Decide whether you’re going to camp.
If you’re planning to stay in hotels all the time, there’s no need to bring your camping gear. But if you want more freedom and flexibility plus room for improvisation, camping can be a great way to enhance the experience! If you decide you will be camping, make sure you only bring the essentials: a tent, a sleeping pad, and a sleeping bag (and an inflatable pillow if you need that extra bit of comfort). Camping chairs and coolers are better left for a car trip!
Make sure your stuff packs small.
Gone are the days of big, heavy sleeping bags and tents that take up a whole duffel bag. The newest camping gear packs incredibly small – your whole tent, sleeping pad and sleeping pad can now fit into a small soft pannier. Do your research, compare packing sizes and weight, and pick gear that’s light and packs next to nothing!
Decide whether you’ll be eating out or preparing your own meals.
Cooking for yourself can be a great cost saver, but you need to make sure your roadside kitchen is well equipped with a small camping stove, a gas or fuel canister, a pot and a pan and some plates, cups and cutlery. Much like with camping gear, the cooking gear can now pack very small – just make sure you pick foldable, small, multi-functional items! And leave that barbecue grill at home – if you absolutely must have grilled meat, just pack a couple of skewers across your handlebars.
Scatter the weight across the bike.
Having a top-heavy bike is a nightmare, especially if you venture off-road. So make sure the weight is as low as possible: stick the heaviest items in the bottom of your panniers, and leave the top box or duffel bag for the lighter stuff. Same goes for your tools and your spare parts: a sprocket, for example, can “hide” beneath your luggage rack, your tent poles can be attached to your handlebars, and your spare tire tubes can reside in a bag attached to your front fender.
Squeeze things down.
In order to minimize the bulk, use compression bags and Velcro straps: for example, once your sleeping bag is stuffed in its compression bag, wrap 2-3 Velcro straps around it and squeeze the bag down even more. It doesn’t look like much, but if you want to save space, every inch makes a difference!
Did we forget anything? What packing techniques do you use? Let us know in the comments below!
3 thoughts on “Packing for a Motorcycle Trip”
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What I DO iNstead of trowinG old underwear, t-shirts and sock Away, i safe them and shrinkwrap them. SO when i go on a trip i can bin those old clothings after wearing one last TimE. I find a few benefits in this practice.
Shrinknwrapping realLy gets clothing down to its absolute minimum bulkwise and is waterproofing them at the same time.
As i travel along The space needed for my undergarments actually gets less.
And the best bit, No washing needs to be done when i Return home.
I’d be interested in seeing your list of spares.. SIMILAR BIKES ALLOWS A LOT OF ‘SHARING’. DO YOU CARRY JUST ENOUGH TO GET YOU OUT OF TROUBLE OR DO YOU CARRY BECAUSE OF LACK OF AVAILABILITY? OUR HOST IN THE UK HAS A SIMILAR BIKE TO OURS AND CARRIES ALMOST NOTHING. RELIES ON TRACKING DOWN STUFF LOCALLY OR IMPORTING. ADDED COST CAN BE QUITE OVER THE TOP. WHEN FACTORING THE COST I ALWAYS ADD THE DOWN TIME LIKE A 2-3 WEEK WAIT AND COSTS INVOLVED. WHILE WAITING TWO WEEKS IN MEXICO FOR A COIL TO BE SENT, RESEARCH REVEALED A CHEAP FLIGHT TO THE USA TO COLLECT AND RETURN WOULD HAVE BEEN CHEAPER THAN THE WAIT AND SUBSEQUENT $ SPENT PLUS WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE ROAD WAY SOONER.
Some gGOOD tips HERe. I like THE idea of using velco strapping to compress stuff. I’m thinking avout doing my first trip this SUMMER so I’Ll keep this in mind.